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RCBS green machine question
joes
Member Posts: 484 ✭✭✭
Will the RCBS progressive green machine loader allow me to change calibers- it is currently set with 38/357 dies. Thank you.
Comments
I know my RCBS 2000's (I have 2) use a die plate. If you buy extra die plates you set your dies up and should never need to touch them again. Want to swap calibers you swap die plates, shell plate, and primer if needed. Of course you still need to reset your powder dump.
What Model Number is it.
Sorry, Nw, the Green Machine is a completely different design from several decades ago. It does not have a rotating shellplate at all.
I did not realize that Green Machine was a model. I stand corrected.
I'm running hard for a while but I thought I would cut to the chase on this question.
This is the brochure for the Green Machine from RCBS:
http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/FINAL_GREEN_MACHINE.pdf
It's a linear machine not a turret machine like those so popular now. The design was for a specific few pistol cartridges not every cartridge. It was and is notorious for being extremely difficult to adjust to achieve proper feeding and speed of production. The machine also crushed primers and spilled powder which became very difficult to clean up.
In the last few years, RCBS has been offering a trade or some other form of compensation in order to get these things out of the public market. These tools are not reliable and will make most folks pull their hair out if it isn't gone already...
I suggest skipping the idea and buying something that is reliable and worthwhile.
Best.
I had one back in the 80's. It was a POS. The brass was held in five vertical tubes that were rotated as each tube emptied. If you didn't notice the tube was empty it would cause an empty station on the linear rail that advanced the rounds. The primer system was notorious for crushing primers. The Little Dandy Powder Measure used rotors that had to be changed for each different powder and charge. If the empty station mentioned earlier advanced under the powder measure it would throw the charge anyway, dumping powder onto the linear rail. The seating and crimping was OK. If not careful it was very easy to make squib loads that could ruin your day at the range. As soon as I could I got rid of it and bought a Dillon.
Another thing was each machine was caliber specific and could not be changed.
If your looking to buy one of these, save your money and get something that has been made since the turn of the century.
Will the RCBS progressive green machine loader allow me to change calibers- it is currently set with 38/357 dies. Thank you.
I would guess by now you have received all the replies you want or need on the RCBS Green Machine.
I am not an expert, but have 9 of them set up in various calibers.
The original units were sold ONLY in .38 and .357 rim fire cartridges.
As time went on other units were offered to handle .45 and etc.
Almost everyone that has replied to you has provided you good information. Here is my two cents worth.
Talked to customer support today about Green Machine parts. I was informed that when the very few parts they still have in their inventory are gone, that is it. They are NOT having any more parts manufactured to support the Green Machine.
The Green Machine is a very poorly designed unit. Theory was good but product was poor. Too many moving parts that HAVE to be perfectly timed. Also it had the poorest primer transfer tray that was every produced. This was the easiest part to correct though. Simply buy a couple Dillon primer pickup aluminum tubes, remove the plastic slide off tip and Install it where the original Green Machine primer feed unit mounted.
Take care in tightening the set screw and don't crush the aluminum primer tube with the set screw.
The next biggest design problem was the upper cast iron head and the two rear mounted posts it rode on. After a few thousand rounds the cast iron die head will start to flex a little at the down most part of the head travel. In short, the accuracy of the load is dependent on the head stopping at exactly the same place every time.
With the flex caused by the poor design, the slight differences in brass, the different primer pocket diameters and on and on a different amount of stress is applied. This in turn will affect the bullet seating depth, the crimp and etc. This is all caused by the die head not going to exactly the same position every time.
I did alleviate part of this problem by installing stop at the front of the head. This pre-loads the front of the die head and at least makes sure it stops at exactly the same height every time. On the down side of things it actually exerts more stress on the press in the process.
I have spent hundreds of hours making alignment pins, jigs and experimenting with these units to make them function correctly.
If you really want to go through the setup process and make it a good working unit I can provide photos of my modifications.
The long and the short of it is, if you want to start loading good rounds with an out of the box press, just purchase a low end Dillon.
As everyone has stated, Green Machines have lots of problems and require concentration while using one. They like to hang up the primer transfer bar, they like to sling brass out of the transfer rails, they like to dump powder in the transfer bar and pawls and the list goes on and on.
To change your machine from a rim fire .37 to a .45 rimless round would require about 6 hours of putzing around.
Good luck with you machine. When I bought my first one 10 years ago I was only 40. However, today I am 65+ and most of my added age is due to the Green Machines. You will pull your hair out making them work.
Adam